Hirudotherapy (from the Latin), or bdellotherapy (from the Greek) translates as treatment with leeches. Treatment with leeches is one of the most ancient methods of medicine.
Very often the mere mention of leeches makes people cringe. Immediately some slimy booger that sucks your juices … Despite this, hirudotherapy is an advanced field of MODERN MEDICINE, and when you get acquainted with it the deceptive impression of treatment with leeches disappears. To understand the principle of action and evaluate the effectiveness of medicinal leeches, let’s get to know them better…
What is a leech
The negative stereotype about the leech is long overdue to be broken. Let’s note that we will talk about a special, thoroughbred, – about a medical leech, and we will exclude from consideration pond leeches. Medicinal leeches are grown in the conditions of special biological farms, where the conditions of sterility are observed. A leech is used, as well as a syringe, once – after the procedure it is destroyed: they give us health at the cost of their lives.
The medicinal secret of a leech is the full Mendeleev’s table of active biological substances, the proper use of which has a strong effect on all systems of the body and has no side effects, unlike the medicines offered by pharmacies.
The saliva of a leech contains more than 250 biologically active substances, which the leech gives in exchange for the blood taken. These substances include anticoagulants, vasodilators, antithrombotic, analgesic, antimicrobial and histamine-like substances. Leech enzymes include chloromycetin, hyaluronidase, destabilase, bdellins and eglins. Saliva also contains lipolytic enzymes that break down fats – cholesterol esterase, lipase and triglyceridase. All these substances work in a complex and harmonious way, which contributes to a profound effect on the pathogenetic links of disease development, even if the disease is already well established in the body. This makes it possible to achieve amazing results of hirudotherapy in the treatment of a huge number of diseases.
A medical leech is a rather delicate and capricious organism. Leech is very sensitive to scents, and this applies to both perfume smells and skin impurities, the smell of alcohol and cigarettes, pungent breath. Therefore, before the treatment procedure it is necessary to get rid of the slightest odors and impurities, because otherwise the leech will not bite for anything – it prefers to die of starvation.
It should be noted the fact that leeches are very sensitive to various irritations and can independently find diseased organs or zones – so, leeches themselves diagnose the patient and will never treat the disease according to “medical card”, they suck only where the actual diseased organ is located. To complete the favorable image, here are examples of diseases that are treated by leeches.
When to seek help from a hirudotherapist
Used in the treatment of a huge number of diseases, leeches often really save the patient from surgery or are the only means that helps patients – for example, hemorrhoids, uterine myoma, menopause, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, varicose veins (both lower extremities and pelvic varicose veins), thrombophlebitis. The painlessness of the procedure of treatment with leeches is also an important fact.
Hirudotherapy can eliminate many vascular problems – medicinal leeches normalize blood pressure, are used to treat variousdystonia, varicose veins, atherosclerosis, hypertension, angina pectoris, CHD, postinfarct cardiosclerosis, myocarditis … Medical leeches are an excellent anticoagulant, which allows it to successfully use for the prevention of stroke and heart attack. Very effective hirudotherapy in the treatment of trophic ulcers.
Before medicinal leeches retreat and skin diseases: acne, psoriasis, furunculosis, eczema, various dermatoses, neurodermatitis, elephantiasis, lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, toxiderma …
Those who suffer from gout, obesity or diathesis will also find in the leech their best friend.
Hirudotherapy has proven its effectiveness in gynecology, andrology and urology. Diseases of the kidneys, prostatitis, adenoma of the prostate, urolithiasis, pyelonephritis, secondary infertility in men, hemorrhoids and you will forget about the pain and problems.
Hirudotherapy is effective in treating chronic inflammatory processes of the uterus and appendages, including those accompanied by pain syndrome (endo-, para-, perimetritis, adenomyosis, salpingoophoritis), colpitis, mastitis, changes in the ovaries, ovarian dysfunction, menstrual disorders (amenorrhea, algodysmenorrhea), climax, menopausal disorders, habitual pregnancy failure. With the help of leeches you can treat and prevent complications caused by inflammation of the appendages or abortion, adhesions.
Leeches help from insomnia, neuroses, headaches and dizziness, epilepsy, neuritis of the auditory nerves, radiculitis, migraine, myositis, rheumatism, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lesions of bones and joints after injuries, osteochondrosis …
In the treatment of these diseases the effect of leeches is much more effective in combination with manual therapy.
Hirudotherapy helps to get rid of cholelithiasis, gastritis, constipation, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, cirrhosis, biliary dyskinesia, colitis, duodenitis. Glaucoma, keratitis, iridocyclitis, inflammatory diseases, eye injuries recede if a hirudotherapist comes into the fight. Medical leeches are effective in treating thyroid disease, maxillary sinusitis, otitis media, diabetes, greatly help with razranogo bruises, fractures and hematomas, and relieve swelling.
These are only the most common diseases that can be completely cured by leeches. Note that many of these diseases cannot be cured by modern medicine, or they can be treated, but only with surgery – this is the second important reason why hirudotherapy is a priority treatment for a large number of people.
Result
A leech is a living syringe, with a unique set of biologically active substances, the action of which causes various effects in the human body: improvement of blood clotting, reduction of blood pressure; for many women medicinal leeches help to get rid of mastopathy and myoma, inflammatory and dysfunctional gynecological disorders.
Hirudotherapy is of great importance in cosmetology. The unique chemical composition of leech saliva provides immediate interaction of its components with skin cells. As a result, the skin is renewed, becomes elastic, supple and beautiful. It acquires a pink hue, becomes soft and smooth.
Who is indicated for hirudotherapy
People prone to congestion caused by stress, immobility, weak abdomen and diaphragm, diet – the predominance of sugars, dyes and flavorings, refined and flour products, bread and potatoes…
If your lifestyle is an exact copy of the previous paragraph, then you should seriously consider hirudotherapy.
Feelings after hirudotherapy
This is the real patient’s testimonial: “It feels very positive. First of all I feel much better. My head doesn’t hurt when I change weather etc. Secondly, her skin is smoothed out. Small pimples on my face disappeared. Though I have started to leech for immunity increase. At the same time a bunch of small plaques are being cured. And I like the process itself. After the session there is really a feeling of euphoria, a kind of “lifting”.
Our medical center has a certified specialist in hirudotherapy. The course of hirudotherapy is chosen individually for each patient – it all depends on the neglect and the nature of the disease. To approximate the order, the procedures are appointed from 1 to 3 times a week, the course may last from 2 to 4 weeks. If necessary – it is repeated within a year again to consolidate the results achieved.